Unearthed Arcana Poll: How will the US Class Feature Variants be brought to Market?

[Charlaquin]

If I could, I would vote for a combination of options 4 and 5. Their publishing model for 5e seems to be to bundle a bunch of player, DM, and fluff content together in a book built around a common theme. Even Xanathar’s, the closest thing we’ve gotten to a “player’s guide” this edition followed the model, it just has a flimsier theme than Volo’s or Mordenkainen’s. My money is on another one of this style of book, with the unifying theme being interplanar travel, that will serve as a low-key Planescape setting guide. “Elminster’s Guide to the Planes” or something like that.

 

[Parmandur]

If I could, I would vote for a combination of options 4 and 5. Their publishing model for 5e seems to be to bundle a bunch of player, DM, and fluff content together in a book built around a common theme. Even Xanathar’s, the closest thing we’ve gotten to a “player’s guide” this edition followed the model, it just has a flimsier theme than Volo’s or Mordenkainen’s. My money is on another one of this style of book, with the unifying theme being interplanar travel, that will serve as a low-key Planescape setting guide. “Elminster’s Guide to the Planes” or something like that.

Well, both GGtR and RftLW already are kind of XGtE like in style and substance.

 

[Parmandur]

Perhaps, you can clarify, but I have never really read into Planescape, I was not playing D&D at the time and I have always had a dislike for the D&D alignment system. Also a strong dislike for the Great Wheel planar topology.
It is my belief that Planescape is very tied in to both. I know that it is fairly popular here but I much prefer the looser 4e planar landscape.
So my question is, must Planescape have the alignment system and the Great Wheel or could it be presented without them, one, the other or both?

Well, the Alignment & Great Wheel cosmology are built into Plaescape, but they are also assumed in 5E. The universe as presented in the PHB & DMG is Planescape. Any book exploring that further, ala Manual of the Planes, will also be Planescape.

 

[OB1]

Dan Dillon is talking about these variants in Twitter,and he is talking about then being printed in a hardcover, explicitly. These are meant for a book of some sort, not a PDF only.

Yes, they will be available in subsequent prints of the PHB and via PDF for those who have an older version

 

[Parmandur]

Yes, they will be available in subsequent prints of the PHB and via PDF for those who have an older version

Extremely doubtful, since they have remained committed to not making any change whatsoever to the PHB, this is quite certainly intended for a new book. Here is what he said, at any rate.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

No vote option for "As a 6th edition"?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The only Manual of the Planes equivalent I would ever expect to see for 5E is a Planescape Setting book, now that they've cracked the code for making Setting books properly.

Maybe, but I don't think we will ever see Planescape or Spelljammer as a book specifically for themselves. A book that incorporates them but is about the multiverse in general, though, I could see.

 

[Parmandur]

Maybe, but I don't think we will ever see Planescape or Spelljammer as a book specifically for themselves. A book that incorporates them but is about the multiverse in general, though, I could see.

Well, we do have a fairly detailed overview of the multiverse in the Core books to start with, and heavy deep dives are well suited to Adventure products like Descent to Avernus. A new book containing a multiverse Gazeeter, however, inevitably with Sigil in the center as Sharn is in RftLW based on what we have already outlined in the DMG, seems like any play options and monsters would be...Planescape options, basically by default.

 

[Sunsword]

At least until a 5.5E, if there ever is one.

That is what has me worried, the enhancements scream of 5.5, IMO. This is not a knock, but we've had such an influx of players in the last few years and it could be very confusing, like trying to decide between BECMI and AD&D when I was a kid.

 

[Parmandur]

That is what has me worried, the enhancements scream of 5.5, IMO. This is not a knock, but we've had such an influx of players in the last few years and it could be very confusing, like trying to decide between BECMI and AD&D when I was a kid.

a few pages of character variant options doesn't suggest a 5.5 or a 6E, to my mind.